The Night of Broken Glass: A Holocaust Tale

In the years around the beginning of World War II, Jews began to be discriminated at high levels. And when the days grew shorter, November 1 would bring such a chaos to innocent people that during this time period were believed by Hitler and his followers were not human, but alien. Tense air led one family to shut their curtains, turn out the lights, and blow out candles to hide from a waiting monster ready to raid and engulf its victims. Many people crowded around this blank house; heavy growls bellowed against thumping of doors. It stopped. One of the neighbors had pulled out of their house, a scowl draped their lower face, "What are you doing? People are trying to sleep." Pushing out to the front, a ruffian snorted, "These people are Jews. So impure."

"They are not home," the neighbor responded coolly and turned off to their home. With that, the crowd left to another Jewish home, hurling rocks through windows. Five, in fact, slammed the door to the floor and charged in, fists ablaze. Pleading and wails traveled across the room, "Please! Stop!" Nothing worked. Several men swept over, clutching the Jews, and hauled them away like sacks of bread. 

Many hours passed; watery light gleamed down on the rubble-clad streets. Dove gray was chased by lavender then pastel yellow as the sun glittered like warm dew. It seemed almost impossible to imagine the night's disaster. Homes lay deserted, glass blanketed around buildings like a clear snow, furniture tumbled out of the cracked doors. In truth, families with Jews and non-Jews together were broken up. Conservation camps would be refreshed with more "aliens." This aftermath would be one that no one, not even the younger    children, could forget. 

-By Brenna H.

Red and Seabiscuit Interrupted Poem

Red
the elegant, driven underdog
fails more and more
but smart and clever
even though he doubted.

Red raced more and more, only adding more tallies to his losing side. Seabiscuit, even though her came from a famous and talented family, lost every race that was thrown at him only getting the ferocious beast angry. Red was placed with the worst horse in the worst race creating a failing career that was bittersweet. Placed with bigger, faster horses, the flat footed, disorganized outcast was set up only to loose for the other horse to get better. Seabiscuit was sold for the rock bottom price of $2000 because of this. Red squeezed every cent out of what he did and did extra work to keep racing. Both were smart, clever, driven, and troubled.

Seabiscuit
the cinder block like horse
struggled to win his races
meeting his new jockey
and running low kneed and struggle legged
the blunt horse sees his hole.

This Unit Will Change Your LIFE

Faith in Humanity and the Holocaust

This unit will change your life. 

1. This unit will age you (you will be forced to grow up a bit more)

2. Your character will change (you will become a more empathetic person)

3. You will write with more passion because you will be more passionate about life

4. You will look at the world differently

5. You will look at the world of words with more light

Broken Pieces By Kaycee Smith

 Seabusict - The huge dark mass with the brown dark eyes that look straight into our souls. Unable to trust anyone sheering, fighting, with his anger build up to the walls and higher. Beat down flat the hideous duck-waddle called his run disorganized and blunt he had properties of a cinder block. motionless unlike his ancestors.

Red Pollard - Supernatural orange hair tautly muscles ruthless and cheap. Unwilling to give up on his life dream. Ruthless to make everything better. All his hard work not pulling out he was falling in a pendulous motion. Stress bilt up with in but he was still trying he was not done with his career yet.


    Red and Seabusict had an indescribable connection between them. Red never gives up on his dream trying to find an open horse to ride. While Seabuscit lets no one ride him because of what they did to him in the past. Seabusict has forgotten how to be a horse. They meet both wanting a new start. Red compares to Seabusict because he to has had a rough past. Seabusict listens to Red's calming voice and lets him get closer than anybody else has. Seabusict hasn't gotten close to anyone before. This is because he doesn't want to be hurt again so he drives them away. Red was different, him and Seabusict connected in an odd way. They were both broken and together they would be repaired. Over comming all odds they would become unstoppable.

Red and Seabiscuit

RED
cheap, rare skilled
a pushover, but tautly muscled
a loser, but a seeker of fight
Red's power is coming to light
~Jaylyn

Red is chosen to tame this horse. After being watched like a hawk and its prey, Red's lawless spirit and ruthless determination has showed that he can do anything. Red waits in front of the stall unsure of what to do, but still not letting fear get the best of him. All he can hear is the shrieks coming from Seabiscuit just wanting to be free. CRASH! Seabiscuit stands  and his his hind legs and hits the side of the old, wooden stable. A wave of courage takes over Red. Slowly  creeping open the door, trying not to frighten the horse, Red steps foot into the dark eerie stable. Seabiscuit jumps showing Red he is not welcome. But Red doesn't back down. Red holds an apple in his extended arm, signalling it is okay to eat. Still frightened, the Red. Red whispers calmly, "It's going to be alright." For the first time, Seabiscuit shows trust because Red has shown commitment. ~Lunden

SEABISCUIT
blunt, coarse
a loser, but stubborn
an enemy, but a friend
Seabiscuit has found a friend
~Jaylyn

The Crowed Hour - by Allie

Seabiscuit
disorganized yet a threat
Seabiscuit was carrying others debt,
he roared around the track
captured every opportunity to attack
he was lonely inside
it was a rush every ride.

Seabiscuit was a troubled horse just like Red Pollard who was instead a grown up boy who lost his parents at a young age. Seabiscuit was an odd horse instead of a sleek, elegant figure he was boxy, and small. Red was also a strange build for his type. Most jockeies were short, light men so the horse didn't have to struggle with the jockey atop its back. Red was a tall jockey who had to go to drastic lengths just to remain under one hundred fifteen pounds. Red and Seabiscuit were a perfect match because they both had struggled through life and didn't quite fit the category of "eye candy".

Red Pollard
beat down with others words and actions
yet horses felt a gentle reaction
real horses with a special empathy
was caught in a daily catastrophe,
different weight and size
took time for many to realize.

Losing by a nose by Brooke

"Thoroughbred racehorses are one of God's most impressive engines." States Laura Hildebrand in "The Jockey" I couldn't agree more, These horses are equipped with  God given talent and only few athletes have the honor to understand. Red Pollard was one of the few, he could ride a horse like no other, like he was one with the horse. Though he didn't win a single race for over 12 years, he still gave his heart, soul, sweat and blood in every race.

One of the ruthless races he was in he only lost by a nose. He saddles the enormous beast weighing over 1200 pounds, Red climbs onto the back of the animal, putting his own life in danger. The bell rings and the horses are off with strides that can go over 28 feet. Red squats over the saddle in perfect timing with the horse-he never touches the saddle. In front of him through dirt-covered goggles he sees another jock get thrown off his machine and crashes to the ground. Red sees the inside open and lunges at the chance, he slips in wit on ease of an arrow. The other jockey didn't like that and started hitting him with large powerful snaps of the whip, red takes the whip and punches the fellow straight in the face. If he would not of had a helmet on he would have been out cold. Red gets a jolt of happiness because he thinks he can pull off a win, but the other jockey recovers and tries to pull Red off his mount. Red regains balance, while trying to get the other jockey off, but fails miserably. Finally losing by a nose. . . .